The Benjamin Hedrick Ordeal: A Portait of Antebellum Politics and Debates Over Slavery

This exhibit will look at the dismissal of Benjamin Sherwood Hedrick, from his position as the agricultural chemistry professor at University of North Carolina, due to his open support for the 1856 anti-slavery Republican Presidential nominee, John C. Fremont. Hedrick’s experience will be used as a lens for analyzing the political landscape of the nation and North Carolina prior to the secession crisis. A variety of sources, including correspondence, newspaper editorials, meeting minutes, political party platforms, popular songs, and published writings, will be used to explore these issues.